High-clearance sprayers are getting larger and more complex to allow for increasing coverage in a single pass, which improves application efficiency. These high-clearance sprayers require high horsepower engines with numerous engine drive accessories and systems such as exhaust after-treatment systems that need to be mounted near the engine. Inspecting and servicing these accessories and systems can present challenges because of limited space inside of engine compartments.
The current design of the engine enclosure has numerous different panels and covers supported by an outer engine frame. The panels and covers can be individually opened to allow access to different areas within the engine compartment. These include a pair of lower engine access covers that are hinged at their outer edges to pivot down and out to provide access to the engine compartment from below. A pair of front engine cowling access doors can be slid side-to-side to provide access to the engine compartment from the front. A rear engine compartment cover is hinged at its top and can be pivoted up to provide access into the back of the engine compartment. An engine compartment roof is hinged at a longitudinally extending outer edge that can be pivoted up to provide access to the side/top of the engine compartment from above. Side covers include a hydraulics cover that is hinged mounted and can pivot open at one side of the engine enclosure, with a panel secured by fasteners to the outer engine frame to cover the rest of that side of the engine compartment. At the other side engine compartment, a panel is bolted through a vertically extending flange at an outer side of the panel to the outer engine frame. Access to any of the panels and/or covers is limited to the space between the open panel(s) and/or cover(s) and the rest of the engine enclosure and components within the engine compartment. When more space is needed, the panel(s) and/or cover(s) have to be disassembled and removed.
Therefore, a need exists for an improved engine hood mounting system that provides for rotatably mounting an engine hood including top and rear walls to the rear of a chassis frame, which allows the engine hood to pivot out-of-the-way in a rearward direction.